


And Other Signs of Vampirism

by mesoquatic



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, Vampire AU, some graphic things but not much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-05
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-06-09 20:20:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19483285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mesoquatic/pseuds/mesoquatic
Summary: 1890New York City, New YorkWoman found dead on the ground, blunt-force trauma from fall twenty stories up from hotel. Room found covered in candles when searched. No one found renting room. Woman gone from funeral home. Open casket funeral started with opening casket to find nothing.Persephone. Unknown last name. Unknown family. Job lead nowhere. No friends.2020New York City, New YorkMissing PersonsEurydice. Unknown last name.Speculate lover: Orpheus. Unknown last name.Hotel turned apartment building.





	And Other Signs of Vampirism

1890, New York

Ash burned the air, leaving behind the stink of left over nicotine and second hand smoke. The blankets, silk and satin, deep red and black hues, danced with skin: legs, hands, anything it could grab. Candlelight danced through her hair and left streaks of golden orange where it pleased. Blinds shut, window wide open, pleasure bleeding into the bleak night sky.

Persephone sat up. Her eyes gazed out between the curtains. Without a thought, she gathered up the top blanket and held it against her chest, untangling her feet from the others.

“It’s late.” She whispered, making her way to the window. She moved the curtain out of the way, her curls blowing in the soft wind. Smoke from a nearby factory made its way into the sky.

“Is that a problem?”

He pressed the cigar against the night stand, voice booming, still somehow sweet. One of those candies: sour with the sweet center. A cent for one word.

“I should be going. I work in the morning. The foreman-”

“You do not need to worry about such things.”

“My father and mother-” She watched the stars, their light lighting up in her eyes. She quickly looked down to scan the buildings, to see if she could see something she recognized.

“They won’t worry. You’re so full of worry.”

Persephone glanced back at him, blanket slipping ever so slightly. The candles lit up his face from below, showing the sharp edges and lines weathering his complexion.

“I don’t even know your name.”

He snickered. Looking down, he pinched out one of the candle flames without a second thought. Then, quickly, he made his way to hold Persephone’s hips close. She lost her grip on the blanket, dropping to the floor to reveal herself. She hitched as he moved his grasp.

“Do you want to know?” He moved his mouth to her forehead, her eyes closed at the touch.

“Am I to think I’ll be cursed knowing it?” She breathed out, “Am I to be turned to stone at its breath?”

He chuckled before pushing a curl behind her ear.

“You’re very beautiful for someone such as yourself.”

His lips moved to brush against her ear before grinning. He lowered down to the crook of her neck. Persephone froze, her hands hovering in the air having been ready to move back. 

“You’d shine in a graveyard.” His voice licked at her ears. “Against the bones of old men and those who knew it was their time. Against disease and famine. You’d stand out as a shining, beautiful thing before your bones turned to dust as someone new would come along.”

His teeth pierced her skin. She opened her mouth to let out a scream, but was soon numbed by his touch. Blood dripped down her body, finding every crevice it could as it went. Her eyes grew numb, her legs chilled to the bone. Frightened into submission, she fell against the man.

He pulled away after some time and chuckled once more with the same lightheartedness. Her heart pounded in her chest as his mouth made it back to her ear.

“It’s Hades.”

A single push, a single stumble, and air surrounded her. She could not distinguish a single sight in her vision, all blurred with red and black. She searched the sky for anything, in shock over fright. Her arms reached up for him.

One single crack of lightning and one single crack of a back. Bloody pavement. A scream for police. Laughter from the sky above.

-

2020, New York

“Look, I can pay on the third. Just give me the time.”

The landlord laughed, alerting a dog just off the sidewalk of the conversation. He watched Orpheus with mocking eyes. “Look, kid-”

“Sir-”

“I want it now! I’m sorry that this is too much of a reality check for you that getting tips at Central Park ain’t a real job. Give me my money.”

“Again, I don’t-”

“Get off my property, son.”

Orpheus grabbed the man’s hand before being pushed away. He landed with a thud against the pavement. Without another breath, the other kicked the guitar case down the stairs with him.

“Can-” Orpheus started to make out, only to have the door slammed shut- “I at least get my stuff…?” His voice cracked at the end, staring up at the closed door.

His feet got him up, his hands wiping away dust and dirt from his clothes. Another second passed and Orpheus was on his knees and opening his case. One dent and a single broken string filled his sights, the prized possession of his life now injured without even a cent in his pocket. Songbirds chirped from above, watching as he wiped at his eyes.

The usual route down to the park was now filled with blues, pity looks he could only perceive as for him. Now homeless, hungry, and hopeless. The case laid against his arched back, his feet dragging slightly behind him until he found a spot to sit. Faces passed, fingers strummed, frowns and cringes upon his lips whenever he went to stuck an invisible string. All songs now lonely shells.

Orpheus’ eyes kept to the case on the ground as he sung. Small change, the occasional dollar or two, filled his vision with slight hope. Slight, barely even a blink in his vision. Every pair of shoes surveyed in weakness.

“Your guitar is broken.”

The voice filled his ears with honey as the last vibration left his fingers. Looking up, his eyes met another, glinting with passion.

“The string.”

Orpheus looked back down, stiffening up as he examined his guitar. He gulped.

“I know.”

The woman laughed softly, moving to sit down next to him. She leaned over to examine the instrument. Orpheus was quick to move away.

“Sorry. My father used to work on guitars. Had a shop and everything.” She smiled and looked back up at him again. “Repairs and stuff. You snapped it. Over-tuning, yeah? Be careful.”

“It fell down the stairs.”

“Oh.”

She pulled away and glanced around at the trees, smiling as her hands leaned back against the dirt and grass. Birds squawked from above and flew down to a woman nearby on a bench with leftover bread from her meal. Some wandered close to the two of them, one even sticking his head into the guitar case.

Orpheus was up, immediately shooing away the animal. From behind him, still sitting, the woman laughed with honeysuckle in her lungs.

“He wasn’t hurting you.”

Orpheus, now packing, turned back to her and made eye contact for the second time. Her smile showed in her eyes as well as her mouth.

“Who are you?”

“Eurydice.” She smiled wider and laid down to stare up at the sky. Her vest fell against her chest.

“Orpheus.” He responded quietly. “You like my music?”

“I’m convinced you could kill kings with one stroke of that thing.” She was now grinning, her eyes closed. “A lyre would be more fitting. More fairytale-esque.”

Pink now showing on his neck, Orpheus put the case on his back and watched Eurydice. A small smile formed on his lips without him noticing.

“You have the face for it.” She continued. “Soft, you know?”

Her eyes opened, meeting his for the third time. Both now smiling, she reached for his hand.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?”

-

Eurydice opened the door to her apartment, hours later. Orpheus followed her, not even being able to move to put his shoes at the door before being pulled into a kiss with Eurydice. She shrugged off her vest and left it at the welcome mat.

She laid on her bed, vulnerable as Orpheus placed down his guitar case and slowly took off his shirt. Clothes stripped slowly, candles lit like a ritual. Days later, they would finally burn out from being lit and diminished almost every night. Every night, lovers reunited from the long day of performing and tending to old men and their tabs. Every night, a wonderland for both. One step of chance and now, they had the world in their eyes and each other in their hearts and minds.

Orpheus’ songs littered table and countertops, papers among papers of lyrics and rhythms. Love songs for Eurydice, songs of struggles, songs of happiness, la and fa and do. 

Love at first sight it was, but one man watched over the two lovers, a cigar lit in his mouth as he smiled.

Love at first sight it was, but one night, when Orpheus came home, the blood splattered walls and the rustled blankets were enough to drive one man mad.

Love at first sight it was, but it was also an undeath planned for weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on instagram where i do art: mesoquatic


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